Minutes of 27th November 2018

WYCOMBE FOR FAIRTRADE

Minutes of meeting: 27th November 2018
Micklefield Library, Micklefield Road

Those present: Mike King, Sheena King, Matt Knight, Sarah Moroz, Jhon Munoz (joined during meeting), Bob Smith, Tony Thornby, Ivan Cicin-Sain – Wycombe FOE

MK – Bucks New Uni still have Starbucks in the student bar. Costa have taken over the 2 refectories at Wycombe and Uxbridge. MK showed a Fairtrade chocolate bar from Costa in Uxbridge which has Costa’s own name on it. MK will be e-mailing Costa to congratulate them and ask if these will be in all branches and whether there will be further FT products.

TT – Costa operates as franchises.

MK – has read that 30% or less of Costa coffee is Rainforest Alliance.

SK – pointed out 2 corrections required on minutes of last meeting (30/10/18).

SM – will amend and re-send out.

IC-S – re: the showing of the film ‘A Plastics Ocean’ on 20th November. They had 35 – 40 people and received £90 which covered the cost of the licence and the hire of the room with some left over. On 5th December Wycombe Friends of the Earth are having a Christmas meeting and all are invited.

SK – showed some FOE leaflets ’16 things you need to know about food’

SM – re: the Mayor’s Carol Service – waiting to hear back from Lesley Clarke.

M Kn – he will supply the disposable cups and source the mince pies. SK – will get the tea and coffee from the Oxfam shop

SM – will get the milk, sugar and squash M Kn – probably best to plan for about 200

SM – will send an e-mail to Lesley to clarify who is getting what.

MK – Emily Dixie from BNU will be raising awareness of FT at BNU. She runs their ‘Smile Campaign’ and they are encouraging the re-use of cups and recycling.

MK – a lady from Colombia University has contacted MK and asked to be put in touch with people in Tibasosa.

MK – Re: FT Fortnight. If we don’t get a response from Highcrest, we could perhaps get Louise from Bewleys to do a talk for us, in combination with Wycombe FOE and hold it at Micklefield Library?

Jhon Munoz joined the meeting

M Kn – has met with Louise – she said that Bewleys are trying to get back to their ethical roots. Hills Cafe has had help from Bewleys via Louise with their coffee machine.

Suggested possibility of holding a joint event with Bewleys, WFF and Hills Cafe and try to interest the press. Louise was suggesting a world map and showing where coffee etc comes from. Hills Cafe is coming up to its third birthday.

MK – could also ask Louise re: giving a talk around the date of World FT Day in May.

JM – could also use Wycombe Sound again during FT Fortnight.

MK – the theme could be sustainability and connecting with producer communities. MK has had contact with a producer group in southern Ecuador. They have come up with a product using puréed bananas and mango – this adds value to the product. The group only includes farmers with less than 15 hectares. They do not use chemicals.

SK – update on Traidcraft – they have got a new focus for the future. They will be slimmed down to twelve employees and they will maximise the profitable parts of the business.

JM – Traidcraft are still not sure what their business model will be. SK – stalls will continue to be held in churches etc but with a reduced range of products. Their online shop will continue but there will be fewer craft lines and they will encourage communities to buy in bulk.

MK – there are two more outlets in Wycombe that have FT products: the Vanilla Pod Cafe and West Wycombe market stall (Jen Winnett Art). She uses Indian FT cotton bags and they are printed in Yorkshire.

BS – had lunch at the Hearing Dogs Cafe in Saunderton and he asked staff if they stocked any FT items. They are going to look into it.

JM – we now have contacts with four towns in America as previously mentioned. Two weeks ago he spoke to people in Tibasosa. They are interested in having a link with us. They do not have a FT certification system but they are organic food producers and also export handicraft items. They call it a ‘solidarity’ system. MK – we could have a link to them on our website.

JM – the two towns in Costa Rica and Brazil are mainly coffee producers and they are already FT certified.

MK – the one in Costa Rica also produces sugar. They have good support from their council (the mayor and a member of the council went to the international conference in Madrid).

JM – may be able to visit Tibasosa when he goes to Colombia to visit his family.

M Kn – A unitary authority is being proposed and then the situation re: the town committee will need resolving. It would make sense to create a town council for Wycombe. For some reason, there is a reluctance to start the process to create a town council.

MK – a lady from FT International, Carol Wills, also spoke at the Madrid conference – on gender equality.

TT – need to have a meeting with MK and JM to update the website but we need to be clear on how we refer to the status of the different producer groups and make sure that the navigation is suitable.

MK – re: data protection – has adapted a policy statement from a Somerset FT group.

BS – has also produced a policy statement for WFF based on a church one (St. Teresa’s, Beaconsfield).

SM – will call Highcrest in a couple of weeks to ask if we can have an email address to see if they want to take us up on the offer of the talk by Louise.

IC-S – is organising an event in autumn 2019 re: climate change – it would be at Wycombe Arts Centre again.

Next meeting: Tuesday 8th January – Avenue Methodist church.

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